Young children learn through play, talk and doing, not through worksheets full of text. Lesson Dino knows the difference. When you plan for ages 3 to 5, it writes short, simple words, picks big clear pictures and adds picture symbols for children who can't read yet.
What you get
- Activity ideas for your topic, such as a sorting game, a story walk or a scavenger hunt.
- A short plan with what children will learn, what you will say and do, and how you will know it worked.
- Short videos: clips from YouTube, with the exact part to play, so you don't lose the children's attention.
- Slides for the board, with big pictures and very few words.
- Printable sheets with big spaces, made for small hands.
Activities made for young children
Lesson Dino has worksheet tasks made just for this age, including:
- counting objects and ten frames
- tracing words and circling the right word in a sentence
- phoneme frames for early phonics
- sentence builders and colourful semantics, which colour-code the parts of a sentence
- picture instructions, step strips and choice boards
- feelings check-ins, "all about me" pages and reward charts
- scavenger hunts and storyboards.
Steps, instructions and choices use teaching symbols, like those in many special educational needs classrooms, from ARASAAC and Mulberry Symbols. They help children follow along, whether or not they can read yet.
An example: Reception, minibeasts
You type "Understanding the world, Reception, minibeasts". You might get:
- ideas such as a minibeast hunt outside and a "build a bug" model table
- a short plan for a 20-minute group session
- a clip of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, with the minutes to play
- slides with big photos of a snail, a ladybird, a worm and a spider
- a sheet where children count the ladybird's spots and trace the word "snail".
Change anything
Click any slide or activity to change the words or pictures, or ask the AI: "use fewer words", "add a counting task to 10". Earlier versions are kept, so you can always go back.
What to check before you use it
Check that every activity is safe for your setting, especially anything outdoors, with small objects or with food. Make sure pictures and words suit your children, and follow your setting's own policies. Our guide on how to check AI teaching materials has a quick checklist.
Questions teachers ask
Is Lesson Dino suitable for nursery and reception?
Yes. Type the age group the way your setting does, such as Nursery, Reception, Kindergarten, Pre-K or ages 3 to 4, and Lesson Dino writes for that age.
Where do the picture symbols come from?
From ARASAAC and Mulberry Symbols, two free symbol sets used in many classrooms. ARASAAC symbols are by Sergio Palao and may not be used commercially.
Do I need to enter anything about the children?
No. Lesson Dino only needs the subject or area of learning, the age group and the topic. Please never type children's names or personal details.
Is it free?
Yes, while Lesson Dino is in beta. Join the beta with your email address and we will send you an invite.
